Never Say Goodbye Episode 18 Recap
> Never Say Goodbye Recap
Ou Kexin and Mu Qing were enjoying a claw machine game, having agreed that the winner would be owed favors. Ou Kexin then scattered the dolls they won to create a diversion, allowing her to identify two men who had been following them. She immediately took the men to Mr. Ou and complained about being tailed. Yan Jing admitted he had arranged the surveillance for her safety, stating that Mr. Ou highly valued her protection.
However, Ou Kexin expressed her strong dislike for being monitored, and Yan Jing promptly agreed to remove the men. Mr. Ou then questioned Ou Kexin about her relationship with Mu Qing. She announced that Mu Qing had formally agreed to be her boyfriend the previous night, and their date today was their first as a couple. Ou Kexin defended Mu Qing, describing him as a smart, decent, and capable person who had even encouraged her to start her clothing business.
She also suggested that their relationship could help alleviate Mr. Ou's burdens. Mr. Ou, however, was bewildered by her choice, reminding her that her marriage decisions required his approval. He questioned what Mu Qing had that made her so fond of him, to which Ou Kexin passionately described love as an electrifying and dizzying sensation. Afterward, Yan Jing confirmed to Mr. Ou that Ou Kexin was safely home.
Mr. Ou remained perplexed by Ou Kexin's attraction to Mu Qing, whom he saw as uncharismatic. He was particularly displeased that Mu Qing had promised to maintain distance from Ou Kexin but had secretly agreed to be her boyfriend. Yan Jing reassured Mr. Ou that he would continue to discreetly observe their interactions.
Yan Jing's subordinate later reported that Mu Qing's background file was remarkably clean, with no discernible flaws or even records of previous relationships, prompting a jocular query about whether Ou Kexin was his first love. Skeptical of such an unblemished record, Yan Jing ordered his subordinate to continue a deeper investigation. Concurrently, Yan Jing signaled Tieguanyin that she could begin her operation.
Tieguanyin then instructed her associate, Linda, to disseminate a small quantity of their goods to assess market reception and purity. Her intention was to proceed with a large-scale shipment immediately after gaining control of Mu Qing's dark web. Meanwhile, the Yungang police intercepted some of the distributed goods. Upon analysis, officers discovered that despite a high purity of methamphetamine, the presence of chili powder rendered the product impure.
It was speculated that this was a deliberate act to impersonate Scorpion, who was already deceased, and deceive Group K. Director Liu surmised that the internal greed within Group K, fueled by the significant profits generated by Mu Qing's dark web, was likely driving this scheme. He suspected that Yan Jing, Yangcongtou, or Tieguanyin could be the "fox" that would eventually expose itself.
Director Liu warned Mu Qing that he was likely being targeted and advised him to prepare contingency plans. He also inquired about Mu Qing's relationship with Ou Kexin. Mu Qing admitted that Ou Kexin was unpredictable but acknowledged that her cooperation made him feel more secure in his tasks. Elsewhere, Li Ruosheng was interrupted from recording short videos when his subordinates reported a complete network outage, rendering all online transactions impossible.
Frustrated, Li Ruosheng promptly contacted the internet service provider for repairs. When the technicians arrived, Li Ruosheng loudly criticized their poor service, mentioning a previous prolonged outage. While he was distracting them, one of the technicians covertly installed an unknown device onto the main network server. Shortly after, the network was restored. The technician then called Tieguanyin to confirm that all preparations were complete, which Tieguanyin acknowledged approvingly.
Mu Qing later attended Ou Kexin's fashion show rehearsal, where he observed Xiaowei modeling on stage. Ou Kexin explained to Mu Qing that this was an opportunity for Xiaowei to turn his life around, provided he received a new identity and severed all ties with his past. Mu Qing agreed to handle the arrangements for Xiaowei.
Ou Kexin discreetly inquired if Mu Qing had any new assignments, to which he responded that there were no new missions, but they had been advised to exercise increased caution in the upcoming days. Ou Kexin then extended an invitation for Mu Qing to be her escort at the upcoming Fashion Week, which he gladly accepted. Li Ruosheng went to a meeting point to deliver goods.
Mu Qing called him, cautioning him not to release the six million yuan worth of merchandise until he visually confirmed the recipients and to ensure his safety. Li Ruosheng acknowledged the instructions and confirmed he had secured a ticket for Mu Qing for Fashion Week. Upon arrival, Li Ruosheng was surprised to find six beautiful women waiting to collect the goods, lightheartedly questioning who their boss was. Soon after, the payment arrived on Mu Qing's dark web system.
Mu Qing directed his team to divide the six million yuan into ten online transactions, credit it to account number three, and then launder it through seven separate steps. Simultaneously, Tieguanyin, having been alerted that the money laundering process had begun, ordered her subordinate to intercept all the funds as planned and transfer them to her own account. Suddenly, Mu Qing's team reported unresponsive keyboards and their computers freezing.
They discovered that account number three was empty, realizing they had been hacked. When Li Ruosheng returned, Mu Qing furiously revealed the hack, stating that his four-layer firewall made an external breach impossible, meaning the problem was internal. He found an unknown chip, which Li Ruosheng denied any knowledge of. Enraged, Mu Qing demanded Li Ruosheng find a way to cover the six million yuan loss for their godfather.
Shortly after, Tieguanyin's subordinate discovered another monitoring account that was linked outside their closed network, revealing that all of Mu Qing and Li Ruosheng's dark web transactions were being tracked by third-party software. Tieguanyin promptly ordered her subordinate to trace the origin of this monitoring. Simultaneously, Director Liu received an urgent call from Mu Qing. He immediately instructed Task Force 84 member Zheng Ke to cease all surveillance on Mu Qing's server.
Despite Zheng Ke's concerns about unsaved data, Director Liu seemed to try to intervene directly, but it was too late; Tieguanyin's subordinate had already successfully traced the IP address of the monitoring software. Tieguanyin then received the IP address, and she immediately reported this critical discovery to Mr. Ou. Mr. Ou immediately summoned Mu Qing and Li Ruosheng. Before departing, Mu Qing made a phone call to Ou Kexin.
Upon their arrival, Mr. Ou sternly questioned Mu Qing about the Yungang Public Security Bureau IP address found on his dark web server. Mu Qing explained that his servers were repurposed from Dakun's internet cafe. Yan Jing accused Mu Qing of using Dakun's absence to fabricate an excuse. However, Yan Jing's own subordinate corroborated Mu Qing's statement, confirming the servers indeed originated from Dakun's internet cafe.
He further revealed that police IP addresses had intermittently accessed the server logs for two months prior to Dakun's arrest, with all such activity ceasing thereafter, suggesting Dakun's premises had been under police surveillance and used as a storage base. Li Ruosheng then interjected, advocating for unity within their group and cautioning against misunderstandings based on unverified information.
Mr. Ou concurred that there might be a misunderstanding, but gravely warned that a traitor within their organization was a far more serious concern. He then ordered Mu Qing to immediately halt all dark web transactions and to only resume once new servers were procured. Before dismissing them, Mr. Ou specifically reminded Mu Qing to treat Ou Kexin kindly and not disappoint her.
Separately, Tieguanyin expressed frustration to Yan Jing that Mu Qing had once again managed to evade serious consequences. Yan Jing maintained that Mu Qing would eventually falter. After the meeting, Li Ruosheng questioned Mu Qing about his decision to use Dakun's servers, which had caused significant trouble, despite Mu Qing's intention to save money. Mu Qing and Li Ruosheng then encountered Tieguanyin, who light-heartedly reminded Mu Qing of the six million yuan he owed.
Mu Qing requested a month to repay the sum, which Tieguanyin accepted. Later, Tieguanyin complained to Yan Jing about Mu Qing's ability to "clean" himself out of trouble. Yan Jing maintained that Mu Qing would eventually falter. Ou Kexin congratulated Mu Qing on successfully navigating the recent challenge, and he thanked her for her crucial, clandestine assistance.
He revealed that Ou Kexin had covertly converted his server's IP address into Dakun's monitoring logs, a move that saved him from deeper scrutiny. Concurrently, news from the police confirmed that all the stolen funds had been directed into Tieguanyin's bank account, conclusively identifying her as the orchestrator of the scheme. Resolved, Mu Qing declared that Tieguanyin must be eliminated.
Li Ruosheng later cautioned Mu Qing against developing genuine feelings for Ou Kexin, suggesting that Ou Kexin's initial proposal was likely a jest. He warned that such a relationship would incur Mr. Ou's severe disapproval, potentially jeopardizing Mu Qing's future and their shared business interests. Mu Qing assured Li Ruosheng that he was fully aware of the situation.
On the day of Ou Kexin's Fashion Week launch, she eagerly awaited Mu Qing's arrival, telling him she had been waiting for a long time before they entered the venue together. Li Ruosheng also attended the Fashion Week launch. Inside, he observed Ou Kexin enthusiastically introducing Mu Qing as her boyfriend to other guests, showering him with compliments. Feeling disheartened, Li Ruosheng retreated to a corner table, where he sat alone and drank. Backstage, Xiaowei was getting ready for his appearance on the runway.
